[Team] Haas: Gene Haas of NASCAR attempting to start F1 team

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Haas would consider customer cars.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/119765

Two telling quotes from that article...

The Haas Formula 1 Team says it would be in favour of running a customer car, rather building its own, if it meant the outfit was competitive when it debuts next season.

"It is about being competitive," he told AUTOSPORT. "How you get there doesn't matter.

It says to me that he doesn't really care about the "constructor" nature of the championship. Given that assumption who wouldn't take a customer car if it was competitive?

Richard

[Akrapovic]

So he wants a mediocre driver, in an American team, with customer chassis. I think his needs could be satisfied by running an IndyCar team.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

So he wants a mediocre driver, in an American team, with customer chassis. I think his needs could be satisfied by running an IndyCar team.

When did he ever say he wants a mediocre driver and he never said he wanted a customer chassis, just that he's open to the idea if it's competitive?

There are some damn good drivers in IndyCar, who can easily give the current crop of F1 drivers a good run for their money.

[Akrapovic]

I never said IndyCar drivers were mediocre - just one that was talked about recently was.

Frankly, this strikes me as a bit of a scam. It's like US F1, with more tax dodging.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I never said IndyCar drivers were mediocre - just one that was talked about recently was.

Frankly, this strikes me as a bit of a scam. It's like US F1, with more tax dodging.

Danica Patrick? No one in their right mind would chose her.

I don't see this as a scam, a tax dodge or anything like US F1. Haas clearly knows very little about F1 and open wheel racing in general, hence he's gone to Ferrari for technical help.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

So he wants a mediocre driver, in an American team, with customer chassis. I think his needs could be satisfied by running an IndyCar team.

Did you even read the article?

Richard

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I never said IndyCar drivers were mediocre - just one that was talked about recently was.

Frankly, this strikes me as a bit of a scam. It's like US F1, with more tax dodging.

Its getting juicy in this thread, carry on boys and girls...

[Akrapovic]

Nobody in their right mind would hire Danica Patrick. So maybe it'd be best he say that, rather than a cheeky "Anything is possible".

I'm all for an American team in F1, partly because I think there should be one (WORLD championship after all), and it'd be pretty awesome. I love when Corvette come over to Le Mans to fight the American side. It's just such a fantastical thing to see.

But do I think this man is the man to do it? Nope. And I think he'll make it harder in the future should he fail. He ran a mediocre NASCAR team until Tony Stewart came along with money. He's a convicted criminal and spent time in jail for tax exvasion. Now we're 6 months away from when testing begins and he's buying cars off of Dallara (who I'm a huge fan of) and saying he'd be a supporter of customer cars. Of all the new teams who came in, the one with the customer car was first to fail.

We've been here before. Swap Haas for Colin Kolles and tax evasion for blackmail and you'll be able to recycle some news stories from a few years ago.

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Nobody in their right mind would hire Danica Patrick. So maybe it'd be best he say that, rather than a cheeky "Anything is possible".

I'm all for an American team in F1, partly because I think there should be one (WORLD championship after all), and it'd be pretty awesome. I love when Corvette come over to Le Mans to fight the American side. It's just such a fantastical thing to see.

But do I think this man is the man to do it? Nope. And I think he'll make it harder in the future should he fail. He ran a mediocre NASCAR team until Tony Stewart came along with money. He's a convicted criminal and spent time in jail for tax exvasion. Now we're 6 months away from when testing begins and he's buying cars off of Dallara (who I'm a huge fan of) and saying he'd be a supporter of customer cars. Of all the new teams who came in, the one with the customer car was first to fail.

We've been here before. Swap Haas for Colin Kolles and tax evasion for blackmail and you'll be able to recycle some news stories from a few years ago.

Haas is not atypical though. He's kinda like an American Mallya and F1 is full of such types. Heck, F1 is run by a man of that type.

And respectable teams have had paid drivers whilst a scorcher gets the first seat. Having Patrick in the second car is just a modification of that approach; and I wouldn't necessarily knock Haas for doing it, even though I don't rate her myself and the syrupy media coverage would bound to be a form of torture.

Personally I think he'll sell on his operation after a few years of getting nowhere.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Nobody in their right mind would hire Danica Patrick. So maybe it'd be best he say that, rather than a cheeky "Anything is possible".

The alternative is to say "I wouldn't hire her"? News story that would play the next day here in the US is "NASCAR owner says he would not hire a female driver". I suspect he is smarter than that. As others have said there actually might be an upside to actually hiring her, but that is a different topic.

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I'm all for an American team in F1, partly because I think there should be one (WORLD championship after all), and it'd be pretty awesome. I love when Corvette come over to Le Mans to fight the American side. It's just such a fantastical thing to see.

But do I think this man is the man to do it? Nope. And I think he'll make it harder in the future should he fail.

What is your measure of success for either a US based team or a new privateer team? It sounds quite high. Unrealistically high IMHO. Most find it difficult to survive let alone be competitive and extremely rare to win. What I can agree with is that if HaaS self destructs (however you define that), it will make it harder for any poorly prepared effort (ala USF1) to make it very far and that is a good thing. Overall I see no problems with him giving it a go and given there is not an army of potential US teams, why not him? On paper, he is about as good of a privateer effort as you could get from the US. If you wait for the "idea team" to emerge from the US, it is going to be a long, long wait.

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

He ran a mediocre NASCAR team until Tony Stewart came along with money.

I don't follow NASCAR much, but does that mean that money helps teams succeed? I am shocked!

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

He's a convicted criminal and spent time in jail for tax exvasion. Now we're 6 months away from when testing begins and he's buying cars off of Dallara (who I'm a huge fan of) and saying he'd be a supporter of customer cars. Of all the new teams who came in, the one with the customer car was first to fail.

We've been here before. Swap Haas for Colin Kolles and tax evasion for blackmail and you'll be able to recycle some news stories from a few years ago.

I don't like or dislike Haas. I am not going to defend his criminal record. But there is two ways of looking at this. First, he has done his time. Second, might fit right in if even potentially not being corrupt enough or smart enough to not get caught?

Richard

[Paradise City]

I wouldn't be surprised if Haas is gently toying with the idea with a little bit of encouragement from his marketing people whilst the hard headed F1 people who he drafted into his organisation are firmly sayin' No!

His ambiguity and refusal to dismiss the idea categorically may even be to kinda remind his driven F1 people that while he respects their F1 smarts, he is the boss and the decision maker here.

It's not entirely unwarranted to be wary that he will draft her in though. He's a mercurial character and it would be a way of raising finance and publicity if it was done properly. But I don't think she'll get the gig when all is said and done.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

I wouldn't be surprised if Haas is gently toying with the idea with a little bit of encouragement from his marketing people whilst the hard headed F1 people who he drafted into his organisation are firmly sayin' No!

His ambiguity and refusal to dismiss the idea categorically may even be to kinda remind his driven F1 people that while he respects their F1 smarts, he is the boss and the decision maker here.

It's not entirely unwarranted to be wary that he will draft her in though. He's a mercurial character and it would be a way of raising finance and publicity if it was done properly. But I don't think she'll get the gig when all is said and done.

I don't think he'll go for Danica. He says he wants to be competitive and would consider a customer car, if that's what it takes.

So if he wants a competitive, all American team, I think a good choice is Alexander Rossi and either Josef Newgarden, or Sage Karam.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

So he wants a mediocre driver, in an American team, with customer chassis. I think his needs could be satisfied by running an IndyCar team.

He wants to race at Europe and Asia-Pacific.

I meant, he wants to do business in Europe and Asia-Pacific.

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I don't think he'll go for Danica. He says he wants to be competitive and would consider a customer car, if that's what it takes.

So if he wants a competitive, all American team, I think a good choice is Alexander Rossi and either Josef Newgarden, or Sage Karam.

My post doesn't contradict the idea that he wants a competitive team.

I don't think we'll see Danica as I think 1. Danica herself is reportedly fairly lukewarm on the prospect 2. Haas himself isn't that pushed 3. it'd probably cause alot of unnecessary ill-will with his hard nosed F1 people.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Frankly, this strikes me as a bit of a scam. It's like US F1, with more tax dodging.

again drunk so not sure why im agreeing but there really is an element of making toasters going on with this entry.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

My post doesn't contradict the idea that he wants a competitive team.

I don't think we'll see Danica as I think 1. Danica herself is reportedly fairly lukewarm on the prospect 2. Haas himself isn't that pushed 3. it'd probably cause alot of unnecessary ill-will with his hard nosed F1 people.

I know that, my comment was in reference to Haas possibly choosing Danica Patrick and I don't think he will either.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Haas has been talking to 10 drivers according to this.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120342

It doesn't say but I wonder which American drivers he's spoken to if any?

[chillibowl]

from the article, kind of get the impression that Steiner is looking for experienced hands and not rookies even american ones.

i find myself liking their approach more and more. its F1 so part of me is always skeptical on whether or not this is an honest entry or a publicity exercise but the idea of selecting the drivers earlier (think i read elsewhere today they have a september target) so they can help with the process of being ready for Oz is smart and inspires confidence imo.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

from the article, kind of get the impression that Steiner is looking for experienced hands and not rookies even american ones.

i find myself liking their approach more and more. its F1 so part of me is always skeptical on whether or not this is an honest entry or a publicity exercise but the idea of selecting the drivers earlier (think i read elsewhere today they have a september target) so they can help with the process of being ready for Oz is smart and inspires confidence imo.

I was just thinking with the focus on the first US team in F1 since the '70s an American driver might be in offing, even as test driver.

Otherwise I'm looking forward to Haas in F1.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I was just thinking with the focus on the first US team in F1 since the '70s an American driver might be in offing, even as test driver.

Otherwise I'm looking forward to Haas in F1.

well there was team toaster but they never made the grid

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

well there was team toaster but they never made the grid

Team Toaster even designed and constructed and IndyCar once, the Falcon Indy 01-A. It never made the grid.

[JeremySmith]

The Haas drivers are going to be RG and EG... Just a calculated guess ...

[m355y]

Sport Bild (I think?) in Germany is reporting that Vergne has got the seat over Gutierrez. Which would be interesting as he's just committed to a full season in FE with Virgin.

[JeremySmith]

I am happy to hear that JEV is a very solid driver don't you think ..
I wonder who the other driver will be then ?

[wnut]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

I am happy to hear that JEV is a very solid driver don't you think ..
I wonder who the other driver will be then ?

He can't qualify! Slow in F1 terms!